Electron-impact excitation of O II fine-structure levels.

Effective collision strengths for forbidden transitions among the five energetically lowest fine-structure levels of O ii are calculated in the Breit-Pauli approximation using the R-matrix method. Results are presented for the electron temperature range 100-100 000 K. The accuracy of the calculations is evaluated via the use of different types of radial orbital sets and a different configuration expansion basis for the target wavefunctions. A detailed assessment of previous available data is given, and erroneous results are highlighted. Our results reconfirm the validity of the original Seaton and Osterbrock scaling for the optical O ii ratio, a matter of some recent controversy. Finally, we present plasma diagnostic diagrams using the best collision strengths and transition probabilities.

Psychological status of patients referred for orthognathic correction of skeletal II and III discrepancies

Objective: To establish the extent of psychological problems among patients who require orthognathic treatment. Materials and Methods: Five aspects of psychological functioning were assessed for 162 patients who required orthognathic treatment and compared with 157 control subjects.

Results: Analysis of variance did not detect any significant difference in the five psychological scores recorded for the skeletal II, skeletal III, and control groups. The proportion of subjects with one or more psychological measure beyond the normal range was 27% for skeletal II subjects, 25% for skeletal III subjects, and 26% for control subjects. One skeletal II subject (1.5%), three skeletal III subjects (3%), and five control subjects (3%) required referral for psychological counseling.

Conclusions: The orthognathic patients did not differ significantly from the control subjects in their psychological status. © 2010 by The EH Angle Education and Research Foundation, Inc.

Electron-impact excitation of Fe II: Effective collision strengths for optically allowed fine-structure transitions

In this paper. we present collision strengths and Maxwellian averaged effective collision strengths for the electron-impact excitation of Fe II. We consider specifically the optically allowed lines for transitions from the 3d(6)4s and 3d(7) even parity configuration states to the 3d(6)4p odd parity configuration levels. The parallel suite of Breit-Pauli codes are utilized to compute the collision cross-sections where relativistic effects are included explicitly in both the target and the scattering approximation. A total of 100 LS or 262-jj levels formed from the basis configurations 3d(6)4s, 3d(7) and 3d(6)4p were included in the wave-function representation of the target, including all doublet. quartet and sextet terms. The Maxwellian averaged effective collision strengths are computed across a wide range of electron temperatures from 100 to 100,000 K, temperatures of importance in astrophysical and plasma applications. A detailed comparison is made with previous works and significant differences were found to occur for some of the transitions considered. We conclude that in order to obtain converged collision strengths and effective collision strengths for these allowed transitions it is necessary to include contributions from partial waves up to L = 50 explicitly in the calculation, and in addition, account for contributions from even higher partial waves through a "top up" procedure.

Electron-impact excitation of Ni II: Collision strengths and effective collision strengths for low lying fine-structure forbidden transitions

Context. Considerable demand exists for electron excitation data for Ni ii, since lines from this abundant ion are observed in a wide variety of laboratory and astrophysical spectra. The accurate theoretical determination of these data can present a significant challenge however, due to complications arising from the presence of an open 3d-shell in the description of the target ion. Aims. In this work we present collision strengths and Maxwellian averaged effective collision strengths for the electron-impact ex- citation of Ni ii. Attention is concentrated on the 153 forbidden fine-structure transitions between the energetically lowest 18 levels of Ni ii. Effective collision strengths have been evaluated at 27 individual electron temperatures ranging from 30–100 000 K. To our knowledge this is the most extensive theoretical collisional study carried out on this ion to date.Methods. The parallel R-matrix package RMATRX II has recently been extended to allow for the inclusion of relativistic effects. This suite of codes has been utilised in the present work in conjunction with PSTGF to evaluate collision strengths and effective collision strengths for all of the low-lying forbidden fine-structure transitions. The following basis configurations were included in the target model – 3d9 , 3d8 4s, 3d8 4p, 3d7 4s2 and 3d7 4s4p – giving rise to a sophisticated 295 j j-level, 1930 coupled channel scattering problem. Results. Comprehensive comparisons are made between the present collisional data and those obtained from earlier theoretical evaluations. While the effective collision strengths agree well for some transitions, significant discrepancies exist for others.

Electron-impact excitation of Cr II A theoretical calculation of collision and effective collision strengths for forbidden transitions

Context. Absorption or emission lines of Cr II are observed in a wide variety of astrophysical spectra and accurate atomic data are urgently needed to interpret these lines. Many of these data are impossible to measure experimentally and a full theoretical treatment is the only means by which these data can be obtained.

Aims. In this paper, we present collision strengths and effective collision strengths for electron-impact excitation of Cr II for forbidden transitions among the lowest-lying 74 fine-structure levels. Effective collision strengths have been computed for 18 individual electron temperatures of astrophysical importance, ranging from 2000-100 000 K.

Methods. The parallel suite of R-matrix packages, RMATRX II, which has recently been extended to allow for the inclusion of relativistic effects, has been used in the present work to compute the collision strengths and effective collision strengths for electron-impact excitation of Cr II. We concentrate in this publication on low-lying forbidden lines among the lowest 74 jj fine-structure levels with configurations 3d(5) and 3d(4)4s, although atomic data has been evaluated for all 39 060 transitions among the 280 jj levels of configurations 3d(5), 3d(4)4s and 3d(4)4p. This work constitutes the largest evaluation ever performed for this ion involving 1932 coupled channels.

Results. Collision and effective collision strengths are presented for all transitions among the lowest 74 J pi states of Cr II and comparisons made with the work of Bautista et al. (2009). While the effective collision strengths agree well for some transitions, significant discrepancies exist for others. We believe that the present atomic data represents the most accurate, most sophisticated and most complete data set for electron-impact excitation of Cr II and we would recommend them to astrophysicists and plasma physicists in their application work. We would expect that the effective collision strengths presented for the important low-lying forbidden lines are accurate to within 15%.

Parasite diversity, patterns of MHC II variation and olfactory based mate choice in diverging three-spined stickleback ecotypes

Ecological speciation has been the subject of intense research in evolutionary biology but the genetic basis of the actual mechanism driving reproductive isolation has rarely been identified. The extreme polymorphism of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), probably maintained by parasite-mediated selection, has been proposed as a potential driver of population divergence. We performed an integrative field and experimental study using three-spined stickleback river and lake ecotypes. We characterized their parasite load and variation at MHC class II loci. Fish from lakes and rivers harbor contrasting parasite communities and populations possess different MHC allele pools that could be the result of a combined action of genetic drift and parasite-mediated selection. We show that individual MHC class II diversity varies among populations and is lower in river ecotypes. Our results suggest the action of homogenizing selection within habitat type and diverging selection between habitat types. Finally, reproductive isolation was suggested by experimental evidence: in a flow channel design females preferred assortatively the odor of their sympatric male. This demonstrates the role of olfactory cues in maintaining reproductive isolation between diverging fish ecotypes.

The death of massive stars - I. Observational constraints on the progenitors of Type II-P supernovae

We present the results of a 10.5-yr, volume-limited (28-Mpc) search for supernova (SN) progenitor stars. In doing so we compile all SNe discovered within this volume (132, of which 27 per cent are Type Ia) and determine the relative rates of each subtype from literature studies. The core-collapse SNe break down into 59 per cent II-P and 29 per cent Ib/c, with the remainder being IIb (5 per cent), IIn (4 per cent) and II-L (3 per cent). There have been 20 II-P SNe with high-quality optical or near-infrared pre-explosion images that allow a meaningful search for the progenitor stars. In five cases they are clearly red supergiants, one case is unconstrained, two fall on compact coeval star clusters and the other twelve have no progenitor detected. We review and update all the available data for the host galaxies and SN environments (distance, metallicity and extinction) and determine masses and upper mass estimates for these 20 progenitor stars using the STARS stellar evolutionary code and a single consistent homogeneous method. A maximum likelihood calculation suggests that the minimum stellar mass for a Type II-P to form is m(min) = 8.5(-1.5)(+1) M-circle dot and the maximum mass for II-P progenitors is m(max) = 16.5 +/- 1.5 M-circle dot, assuming a Salpeter initial mass function holds for the progenitor population (in the range Gamma = -1.35(-0.7)(+0.3)). The minimum mass is consistent with current estimates for the upper limit to white dwarf progenitor masses, but the maximum mass does not appear consistent with massive star populations in Local Group galaxies. Red supergiants in the Local Group have masses up to 25 M-circle dot and the minimum mass to produce a Wolf-Rayet star in single star evolution (between solar and LMC metallicity) is similarly 25-30 M-circle dot. The reason we have not detected any high-mass red supergiant progenitors above 17 M-circle dot is unclear, but we estimate that it is statistically significant at 2.4 sigma confidence. Two simple reasons for this could be that we have systematically underestimated the progenitor masses due to dust extinction or that stars between 17-25 M-circle dot produce other kinds of SNe which are not II-P. We discuss these possibilities and find that neither provides a satisfactory solution. We term this discrepancy the 'red supergiant problem' and speculate that these stars could have core masses high enough to form black holes and SNe which are too faint to have been detected. We compare the Ni-56 masses ejected in the SNe to the progenitor mass estimates and find that low-luminosity SNe with low Ni-56 production are most likely to arise from explosions of low-mass progenitors near the mass threshold that can produce a core-collapse.

Long-term occlusal and soft-tissue profile outcomes after treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion with fixed appliances

Introduction: Our objective was to determine which factors were predictive of good long-term outcomes after fixed appliance treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion. Methods: Two hundred seven patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusion were examined in early adulthood at a mean of 4.6 years after treatment with fixed appliances. The peer assessment rating index was used to evaluate dental alignment and occlusal relationships. The soft-tissue profile was assessed with the Holdaway angle. Results: Logistic regression identified 3 pretreatment variables that were predictive of a good facial profile (Holdaway angle) at recall: the lower lip to E-plane distance (P

Electron-impact excitation of Ni II: Effective collision strengths for optically allowed fine-structure transitions

In this paper, we present collision strengths and Maxwellian averaged effective collision strengths for the electron-impact excitation of Ni II. Attention is expressly concentrated on the optically allowed fine-structure transitions between the 3d 9, 3d 84s, and 3d 74s 2 even parity levels and the 3d 84p and 3d 74s 4p odd parity levels. The parallel RMATRXII R-matrix package has been recently extended to allow for the inclusion of relativistic fine-structure effects. This suite of codes has been utilized in conjunction with the parallel PSTGF and PSTGICF programs in order to compute converged total collision strengths for the allowed transitions with which this study is concerned. All 113 LS terms identified with the 3d 9, 3d 84s, 3d 74s 2, 3d 84p, and 3d 74s 4p basis configurations were included in the target wavefunction representation, giving rise to a sophisticated 295 jj-level, 1930 coupled channel scattering complex. Maxwellian averaged effective collision strengths have been computed at 30 individual electron temperatures ranging from 30 to 1,000,000 K. This range comfortably encompasses all temperatures significant to astrophysical and plasma applications. The convergence of the collision strengths is exhaustively investigated and comparisons are made with previous theoretical works, where significant discrepancies exist for the majority of transitions. We conclude that intrinsic in achieving converged collision strengths and thus effective collision strengths for the allowed transitions is the combined inclusion of contributions from the (N + 1) partial waves extending to a total angular momentum value of L = 50 and further contributions from even higher partial waves accomplished by employing a "top-up" procedure.

New ruthenium(II) complexes of functionalized monoanionic aryldiamine N,C,N'-terdentate ligands: Syntheses of [Ru-II{2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)-4-R-C6H2}(terpy)]Cl+(-); X-ray structure of a dimeric organolithium compound,[Li{2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)-4-Ph-C6H2}](2)

The new anionic functionalized aryldiamine ligands [2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)-4-R-C6H2](-) (R = Me(3)SiC=C, C6H5, Me(3)Si), formally derived from [2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)C6H3](-), have been prepared as their lithium compounds. The compound [Li{2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)-4-Ph-C6H2}](2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (no. 15) with a = 13.1225(5), b = 13.5844(7), c = 15.9859(12) Angstrom, beta = 105.329(5)degrees, V = 3264.0(3)Angstrom(3), Z = 4. The structure refinement converged to R(1) = 0.0374 for 2037 observed reflections [F-o>4 sigma(F-o)] and wR(2) = 0.0922 for 2560 unique data. The organolithium compounds have been used in transmetalation reactions to give the corresponding functionalized organoruthenium(II) complexes [Ru-II{2,6-(Me(2)NCH(2))(2)-4-R-C6H2}(terpy)]Cl-+(-) (terpy = 2,2';6',2 ''-terpyridine). The Ru-II species with R = HC = C has also been synthesized.